For a conventional solar cell module based on copper indium selenide (CIS), it is basically formed as a solar cell that is made by depositing a metallic back layer, a p-type absorber layer, a high-resistance buffer layer and a n-type window layer on a substrate. Moreover, after being sandwiched inside a weather-resistance film made of a filling material, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), the so-constructed solar cell is further being covered by a compactly fitted inside a glass housing while being framed by a frame structure that can be made of aluminum. Thereby, the solar cell module that is being framed inside the frame structure is capable of preventing the incursion of water and moisture into the glass housing and thus improving the weather resistance of the solar cell module.
Generally, while viewing a conventional CIS-based solar cell module, which is formed as a solar cell element sandwiched between a glass cover and a glass substrate and framed inside an aluminum frame structure while having an electrode assembly protruding outside the frame structure, only the aluminum frame structure, the electrode assembly and the solar cell element is clearly visible. In addition, in some cases, the aluminum frame structure is coated in a color the same as that of the solar cell element.
It is noted that there will be filling materials being filled into the aluminum frame structure before integrating the aluminum frame structure with the solar cell element, and thus, while fitting the solar cell element into the aluminum frame structure, the filling materials will be squeezed and thus overflowed out of the frame structure and onto the front and back of the solar cell element. Therefore, it is necessary to include an additional machining process into the manufacturing of the solar cell module for removing the filling material that is overflowed on the front of the solar cell element so as to ensure the solar cell module to operate normally.
There are already many studies for preventing the filling materials from overflowing. One of which is solar cell module disclosed in U.S. Pat. App. No. 2010/0263724A1, in which a structure composed of a spacer, a projected line and a guide groove is used for preventing the filling material to overflow on the front side of the solar cell element, but instead to be guided to flow into the guide groove.
Nevertheless, despite that the filling materials can be guided and thus prevented from flowing on the front of the solar cell element by the aforesaid technique, the overall labor and cost for manufacturing the solar cell module will be increased, since not only an additional machining process is required for processing the aluminum frame so as to formed the projected line and the guide groove, but also there is additional materials required for forming the spacers.